There are many perks to baking your own bread. For instance, taking the do-it-yourself approach can save you some dough. Chattman told WCBS 880’s Pat Farnack that you can bake your own bread for the fraction of the cost of an artisan loaf.

In addition, you have full control of the ingredients.

“You can use organic flour if you want. You can customize your loaves with different herbs and olives and cheese and dried fruit,” Chattman said.

Making something from scratch is also rewarding.

“There’s the hobby aspect, the craft aspect, and the immense satisfaction you can get out of creating something really beautiful,” Chattman said.

“It’s a taste experience. Not only do I bake bread with my children (I have two teenage daughters), but whenever I’m visiting my mom she says, ‘Oh, teach me something new.’ and a couple of weeks ago we made garlic knots together,” said Chattman. “It’s so enjoyable. It’s so relaxing. It takes an afternoon. It takes a couple of hours to have your dough rise, but it’s a great way to spend time with your mom.”

Another awesome idea is bringing a loaf of your own homemade bread when dining out at someone’s home.

To learn more about Chattman’s book, click HERE. She also has a blog. To check it out, click HERE.

Pat Farnack lives in two different worlds, sipping her early morning coffee watching a herd of deer and wild turkey in her front yard in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania and bringing people the stories they want to hear as midday anchor on WC...